Finding a way to normal
by deedee920
Summary: Sam/Andy story. Set after 2.13 My first shot at a fan fic ever, so I hope you enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

She walked from the station, with her own thoughts confusing her with every word, when his truck pulled up along side her.

"Hey… What happened?"

"I got suspended. You?"

"I got yelled at…and then I got suspended"

"…Sam…" she searched for words but didn't know where to start. There was so much she wanted to say to him at that moment.

"Want to try being normal together?" He asked with a small smile.

"How are we going to do that?"

"I don't know – I have no idea".

She smiled at him, and said, "I guess we are just going to have to figure it out together".

"Well jump in then, I can't wait to see where this is going"

She smiled and got into his truck. Just a few blocks from Sam's apartment, Andy directed him to pull over at a local market. He really just wanted to get home, but complied since he knew there was nothing in his apartment since he had been gone for a month. Andy assured him she would be quick, and made her way into the store. More quickly than he expected, she returned to the truck carrying three big grocery bags.

When they arrived at Sam's place, he had insisted on helping her with the groceries, despite his injuries and her protests. He set them on the kitchen counter, and she asked where the bathroom was. He directed her to it and she said she would be right back, after she grabbed something from one of the grocery bags.

Sam began to unpack the items she bought. One bag was full of practically every medical supply he could think of - aspirin, pain medication, ligament cream, peroxide, bandages, gauze, ice packs, heating pads, etc.

The other two bags were filled with grapefruit juice, cranberry juice, orange juice, beer, some frozen pizzas, cold cuts, bread, eggs, coffee, milk, bacon, and a few other household essentials. He laughed as he unpacked the last two things in the bag – two pints of ice cream – pistachio and chocolate.

He then heard Andy call out from the bedroom –

"Sam where are the linens? Never mind, I found them"

He wondered what she was up to and headed into the bedroom to find her changing the sheets on his bed.

"What are you doing?" He asked her.

"What? I figured you'd want to sleep on fresh sheets. Any way, I am almost done. You get undressed and get in there" she said pointing at the bathroom. He looked in the bathroom to find that she had drawn him a hot bath.

"McNally, real men don't take bubble baths", he joked.

"Oh, shut up and get in. Besides, it's not a bubble bath, I put in Epson salt. It will help with the aches."

He started to protest again but quickly stopped when she slid up next to him. She looked into his eyes and said softly, "Just get in. It is my turn to take care of you for a change".

He kissed the top of her head and held up his hands in defeat. She helped him out of his clothes and into the bath.

"What your not going to join me?" he joked

She smiled, "Not this time" and she gingerly washed his back and arms and torso with a washcloth. Once the water started to cool, she told him to finish up as she laid out a towel for him and made her way into the kitchen.

Ten minutes or so had passed before he made his way out of the bathroom and into the bedroom to find the lights dimmed. She had also lit a candle next to the bed, and one nightstand contained all of the medical supplies he had unpacked earlier; the other nightstand held two beers, and a sandwich that had been cut in half.

Andy was waiting on the edge of the bed, now wearing one of his tee shirts, and was pulling her hair up into a loose bun. She directed him to lie down. As he made his way onto the bed, he paused briefly to pull her into a deep, tender, loving kiss. When they pulled apart, she handed him half of the sandwich and a beer, and reached over to get him some pain medication. He watched her with a sense of awe; he swore she had never looked so beautiful.

Sam ate the sandwich quickly, sharing bites with her as she surveyed his bruised, scraped body. She ran her fingers along each cut and bruise placing a small, gentle kiss on each, as her fingers passed over them. She gently tended to his wounds, cleaning each and bandaging them. She then reached for the pain rub and took her time to tenderly massaging each muscle of his body until she could feel him starting to relax.

"You know", Sam said groggily, "a guy could get used to this".

Andy just laughed, bent down to give him another soft, lingering kiss and told him to get some sleep. She curled into him and they were both asleep shortly, wrapped in each others arms. There may have not been any sex that night, but it was surely one of the most intimate they had spent together.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Rookie Blue **

I hope you liked the last chapter. This story is really getting longer than I expected, but hey, what can you do? I hope you enjoy it! There's more to come shortly. I had to cut this chapter short because it was getting too long. Please review!

Sam awoke the next morning sore and alone. He wondered where Andy was and then he heard noises coming from the kitchen. As he turned to get out of bed he spotted the nightstand. There was a glass of grapefruit juice and some pain pills set out for him. He took them gratefully, got up, put on a pair of sweatpants, and headed towards the kitchen.

He stood in the doorway of the kitchen and smiled widely as he watched her. She was still wearing his tee shirt, but had also pulled on a pair of his boxer shorts. She had the radio on low, and was dancing around the kitchen to _The Cure_'s song "Friday I'm in Love" as she made breakfast.

She spotted him in the doorway watching her, and blushed slightly before directing him to sit down while she poured him a cup of coffee. When she handed him the coffee, he took the opportunity to grab her hand and pull her in for a kiss.

She eagerly accepted and the kiss grew longer and deeper. Just as he was putting his arm around the small of her back to bring her in closer, she stopped and pulled away.

"Sam you are going to make me burn breakfast"

"What are you making?" he questioned, eyeing the stove.

"Bacon and eggs sandwiches"

"My favorite", he grinned

"I know" she said with a wink

After breakfast, they cleaned up the kitchen together and Andy asked what Sam had planned on doing for the day.

"Not sure – I hadn't exactly planned on having the day off. What about you?"

"I figured I'd head over to Traci's while she is at work, grab some clean clothes, take a shower, and maybe head down to the bank to finally complete the mortgage paperwork."

"Need a ride?" Sam asked

"You should stay here and get some rest", she said.

"Andy, I am not going to let you walk everywhere. It is freezing outside. I am feeling a lot better today, you know, since I had this gorgeous, sexy nurse take very good care of me last night…"

"Oh, really?" Andy said playfully

"Yeah, and I was hoping she would come back tonight and make me feel even better" he said pulling her into a soft kiss.

Andy smiled and knew he would not back down, so she agreed to let him drive her. She gave him another quick kiss and they went to go get washed up and dressed. He helped her into her coat, and grabbed his phone and keys before heading out.

Sam dropped her in front of Traci's and told her just to grab some of her stuff quickly, assuring her she could shower back at his place later. She agreed and he waited in the truck for her. While he was waiting, he remembered to turn his cell back on. He noticed he had a few missed calls and one voice mail. He listened to the voicemail and smiled. When Andy came back, she placed the overnight bag in the back of the truck and got in. She took a moment to revel in the warmth of the truck and she saw Sam staring at her with a wide grin on his face.

"What?" she questioned him.

"You know it is fitting, really", he chuckled.

"What is?" she wondered

"Three week suspension gives us back the three weeks you wanted to spend with me before I was supposed to go under"

Andy smiled at him, a bit embarrassedly as she realized that he must have gotten her message.

He leaned in close to her, looked in her eyes and asked in his husky voice, "So what exactly did you have in mind to make them count?"

She looked up at him and kissed him deeply, "Why don't you take us back to your place and I will show you"

That was all she had to say. Sam threw the truck in drive and raced back to his apartment.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **Still do not own Rookie Blue

**Notes:** I had a bit of a hard time with this chapter. We got to see so little of them being normal together, that I had to take a few liberties. Oh, and this chapter is the reason that this story is rated "M". I don't know what got into me, but it got a bit racy there for a while. I never wrote something like that before, so I hope I didn't disappoint. I hope you enjoy! Please review!

He carried her bag into the apartment and before it even hit the floor, he had her wrapped in his arms, kissing her passionately. He slid his arms in around her waist and glided them up, throwing her coat to the floor. He used his tongue to caress her neck and brought his mouth up to nibble on her ear lobe. She removed his coat and slid her hand through the back of his hair. Their mouths found each others again and their tongues danced feverishly together. He pressed his hips tightly against hers, and she could feel him hardening between her thighs. Suddenly she held her hand to his chest and pulled apart from him. Through labored breaths she asked, "Sam, are you sure you feel strong enough? I am not going anywhere; we don't have to rush it if you need to rest"

Her genuine concern just made him want her that much more. Amazingly her touch made the aching in his body disappear.

"Andy, I promise, I am fine, and since you are not going anywhere, you could always give me a little more TLC later" he implored with a wink.

"Well then", she said backing away and pulling off her sweater, "I never did get that shower this morning." She headed towards the bathroom and turned around to him with a twinkle in her eye, "You coming?"

He took a minute to compose himself and then followed her to the bathroom, leaving a trail of clothing behind him. He paused for a moment when he entered the bathroom, to take in the perfect silhouette that her body created from behind the shower curtain. Removing his black boxer briefs, he got in and joined her.

"What took you so long?" she asked seductively before pulling him into a deep kiss. He let his hands run down her silky, wet back and they quickly found their way to her bottom. He squeezed her ass firmly and drew her closer and kissed her deeper. She let out a moan and reached blindly behind him, grabbing for the soap. He kissed his way down her jaw line and nibbled his way down her neck, while he slid his hands up her torso and gently squeezed her breasts. He brought his mouth down and sucked on her nipples, letting his tongue swirl around them and his teeth gently nibble. She was now lathering up his chest and she let her hands roam lower. He let out a deep groan as she grabbed hold of his shaft and let her hand caress it over and over. He grabbed her hair and tugged it firmly, forcing her jaw to point up towards him. His mouth assaulted hers again and he kissed her with a strong sense of urgency. His teeth gently bit her lower lip as he pulled her away and turned her so that her back was up against his chest. He slid his hands around her waist and she reached her arms up and grabbed the back of his neck while his lips massaged the back of her neck, collar bone and shoulder. His one hand fondled her breast, while he used the other to slowly guide himself inside her from behind. Once he penetrated she let out a sound of pure ecstasy. His strong hands massaged her breasts in sync with the thrusts of his hips. Her moans grew louder and when she groaned his name, he knew he was on the verge. He dropped one hand and massaged her clit until he could feel her walls tightening around him. One little pinch and they both exploded at the same time.

They stood there for a moment frozen together until they each caught their breath. When he pulled away, she turned to face him. Her hazed eyes looked deep into his. He rubbed his nose gently against hers and gave her another quick kiss.

They finished up their shower, turned off the water and he reached for her hand to help her out. They toweled off and went to the bedroom to get dressed.

"Are you hungry?" He asked

"Ummm, definitely", she replied; "Somehow I seemed to have just worked up a pretty big appetite" she giggled and threw a shirt in his direction. He asked "Pizza or Chinese?"

"Pizza"

"Want to watch a little TV and just relax?" He asked.

"Sure, sounds good" _sounds perfect_, she thought.

The pizza was delivered in a half an hour. Sam closed the drapes and turned off the lights, while Andy grabbed two beers from the fridge. They cuddled up comfortably on the couch together and Sam flipped through the channels before settling on a _Law and Orde_r marathon. They lay there, together, comfortably for hours. Sam would occasionally tickle her arm, she would nuzzle her face into his chest; they stole glances and quick kisses often and chatted during commercials. Sam was starting to ache again after a while, so Andy got up to get him some pain medication. She returned with the pills and more pain rub. He sat up on the couch and she got behind him. She took his shirt off and gave him a thorough back massage. When he was feeling better, she started to kiss his neck – it sent shivers up his spine. She did it for a while, occasionally moving to his shoulders and ear lobe, all the while her arms wrapped around him stoking her fingers across his chest. She leaned into him and pressed her chest against his back, whispering seductively in his ear, "You know what would make this night perfect?"

"Hmmmmmm?" he questioned from a state of contentment

"Ice cream", she declared, getting up.

He laughed and threw a pillow in her direction "Ugghh, you are such a tease!"

She laughed and returned from the kitchen with the two pints and two spoons. They each ate their own and every so often one would feed a spoonful to the other. After a while, they decided it was time for bed. They held hands as they made their way to the bedroom. They made love once again before falling asleep entwined in each other.

The next day, Sam said he was going to go to the grocery store, and Andy decided she needed to go by Traci's again for a few more things. When he dropped her off in front of Traci's he said, "I will be back in a bit to pick you up when I am done at the market"

"No, just go home and I will have Traci drop me off later", she said, "Traci is off today, and I am sure she will want the full report, seeing how I haven't been there for a few days".

"Ok, I'm going to miss you" he said sweetly.

"Wow", she said sarcastically, "I thought for sure you would be sick of me by now", she teased.

"What can I say, McNally, I am a glutton for punishment" he teased her back.

She gave him a sweet kiss and made her way up to Traci's apartment.

Andy sat with Traci for an hour and explained all that was going on.

"So this thing with Swarek is getting pretty serious then, huh?" Traci questioned.

"I don't know Trace, all I know is I am loving the adventure" Andy gleamed.

Traci filled Andy in about the happenings at the station, her and Jerry, and about Leo's latest adventure in school. A few hours later, Traci dropped her friend back at Sam's.

Andy knocked on the door, and when Sam came to open it, she could smell something delicious coming from the kitchen.

"You cooked dinner?" she asked excitedly

"Yeah, I told you, I clean, I cook, I'm good with tools…."he was interrupted by Andy pulling him into a long, sweet kiss.

She looked deep into his eyes and simply said "Thank you".

"Go get comfortable", he told her, "dinner is almost ready".

She went to change and wash up and when she returned, dinner was on the table. When she sat down he slid a key across the table in her direction.

"What's this? You're giving me a key?" She asked.

"Well, you know I had an extra, so I just figured…" He looked at her to gauge her reaction, and saw that she was grinning from ear to ear. Trying to play it off, he said, "What, its no big deal Ok? I'm injured in case you forgot – I can't be jumping up to unlock the door every time you want to go out" he said sardonically.

"Oh, right I forgot" she teased. "Well we can't have you re-injuring yourself answering the door, so I guess I will hang onto it for a while" she chuckled.

He just grinned sheepishly and shook his head "You're so dumb."

After dinner, she cleaned up while he sat down on the couch and watched TV for a while.

She called into the living room, "Sam?"

"Yeah?" He asked as he turned to look at her

"Since you went through all of that trouble for dinner, I guess it is up to me for dessert then, huh?" She bit her lower lip and hand held up a bottle of whipped cream in one hand, and started to undo the buttons on her shirt with the other. She turned and headed for the bedroom; He turned off the TV and followed quickly behind.

The next two and a half weeks were spent in the same kind of routine. They talked about interests, hobbies, childhoods, work stories, etc. They went for walks and to the movies, frequented their favorite diner, and even went out for a nice dinner a couple of times. Every few days Andy would go see Traci, and Sam even had a poker night with the guys. The time they spent together was perfectly comfortable, and best yet, perfectly "normal".


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Rookie Blue

**Notes: **Sorry if the conversation with Traci seems a bit off, like she should have already known those things, it is just that I actually wrote this chapter before the last one, and I needed to keep that convo in there for the next chapter to make any sense. Let me know what you think, please.

As they stood there, facing those grey doors, he could feel the anxiety and fear flowing through her even though he was at least two feet apart from her. It was palpable, especially to him.

He looked at her expression, although she hadn't seen him glance at her, since she was so deep in thought. "_She is over thinking it again_" he thought. He knew he needed to keep her calm in that moment – to protect her, from what they were about to do, "Andy, don't worry. Come on", Sam said as he grabbed her hand instinctively and protectively as they marched through the doors together.

Her return to work should have seemed somewhat uneventful – she had done it 1,000 times before, yet it screamed volumes in her mind on this day. After she walked in with Sam, next to her, grasping one hand with all he had, and pressing against the small of her back with the other, leading her on her path to the locker rooms, she could feel the stares. Questioning stares that burnt through her - but she continued to stare down at the floor and said nothing, No one else had dared to, either. "_Why do I suddenly feel like a perp?" _she thought.

Although uncomfortable, she did understand the intensity of their stares. It had been three long weeks since she and Sam were suspended from the force – together. She was sure that more than some rumors had floated around after her admission to Best about their "meetings", not to mention her reaction at his UC apartment when she saw the blood stained stairs and found him missing.

Yet, here they were walking in together, her hand cupped into his, back on their first shift since the suspension. "_He never did let me down"_ she thought while walking through the crowd and smiling inwardly. _"Partners always have each others backs" _his words replaying in her mind.

She quickly glanced up at him as they walked down the hallway, trying to read his mind. Almost as it was an instinct, he looked at her the same time. His proud face donned a half grin and she saw nothing but love and reassurance in his eyes. She couldn't help herself but to smile back into those beautiful dark eyes.

His smiled widened as a steel certainty grew among her eyes as she stared back at him and her words from what seemed like so long ago, replayed in his mind… _"His partner IS his partner"_…and he gave the small hand that was intertwined in his a quick kiss before letting go of it, as they had reached the locker rooms.

"_Three beautifully long, blissful weeks in his arms",_ she thought to herself as a slight smile worked her way to her mouth. – The same mouth that Sam had been ravaging nearly hourly for the past three weeks, as she grinned widely, her mind could not help but replay the time they spent together and how they grew with each other physically, emotionally and spiritually. Those three weeks were perfection and she, for once in her life, felt truly happy. She didn't have to fake it this time. She glanced at her watch and realized that she had to quickly regain her composure if they were ever going to make it to parade.

Just as she was finishing up, and tying her hair into a quick bun, Sam appeared at the doorway to meet her. He extended his hand to her and they walked towards the parade room. She stopped right at the door and tried to pull her hand from his. He held it tighter. She looked up again at him with a darting, questioning look "What are you doing?" She asked.

"What are _you_ doing?" He retorted with a somewhat comical look on his face, eyebrows furrowed.

She motioned their hands upwards as she panickedly said "If we walk in there like _this _then everyone is going to know!"

"So?" His eyes darkened and his brown furrowed before he laughed and let a signature dimpled grin "Andy, don't you think they already know? I think the only people we have ever been fooling were ourselves".

"True", she chuckled back, blushing. "Alright let's do this" she relented, nodding her head as she took his hand and moved it to intertwine their fingers. He placed a quick kiss on the top of her head and turned the knob.

She normally would have been looking towards the floor again as they entered, but this time she wasn't. Her face stood strong and exuded a newfound confidence.

He walked in ahead of her, pulling her closely behind him as they marched into the parade room.

The second they opened the door, the hoots and hollers erupted from the squad. Andy couldn't help but laugh, and a gleaming smile spread across her face, a slight blush across her cheeks.

"Thank you, thank you" –"I drank a bottle of Amerone, shaved, took a hot shower… with _my girlfriend_" he quipped as he pulled Andy closer to him. Her face reddened immediately, but all she could do was laugh as she swatted at his chest.

"Ok, Ok, people, settle down" Best's voice interrupted. He gave them all the rundown of the day and then handed out assignments. Andy's mood dampened a bit at the though of being separated from Sam. Not only had they not really left each other in the past three weeks, she honestly would miss him as her partner, trainer, and senior officer. Her smile faded and her glance returned to the floor. That was until she heard…

"Nash with Diaz, Epstein with Shaw, Peck with Williams, and …_McNally with Swarek_".

Her head jolted up to look at Frank Best with a puzzled look on her face. The whole room got silent with bulging eyes and gaping mouths.

Best addressed the stares, with an almost approving tone "What? I would never break up a great team – Besides, who knows what kind of fiasco would ensue next if I tried to keep those two apart." "Go! – Serve, Protect and Keep your hands off of each other in the squad cars!" he dismissed.

Everyone laughed as they all headed out for the shift. "Meet you in the cruiser in five" he said to her, knowing how she was never fully ready before shift. She just smiled and nodded before heading back to the locker rooms. When Andy re-emerged and made her way to the squad car, Sam was leaning against it, a cup of coffee in hand for her, with a full blown dimpled smile watching her walk towards him.

"You had better put those away" she said playfully.

"What? The coffees? He teased but only half kidding.

"No, _those_" she said as she lightly tickled the sides of his face with one hand while her other hand grabbed the coffee from his. "You know they are irresistible, and we need to stay professional so that Best keeps us together, and those dimples are not helping!"

"Well can I take them again out later, after shift?" He said, playfully goading her while wagging his eyebrows suggestively.

"We'll see, I'm not really sure how my _boyfriend _would feel about it though" she quickly retorted throwing his words from parade back at him.

Sam just laughed, shaking his head and started back to the driver's side.

"Are you serious?" She exclaimed

"What?" he asked.

"All we have been through together lately and you STILL aren't going to let me drive?" she teased.

"Well I have to be in control of something between us" he quipped back.

"Well if I can remember correctly, _Sir_, you have taken complete control quite a number of times these past few weeks" she giggled.

He bit his upper lip as he gave her a deep dark eyed stare. "_McNally…_ he drawled out in a warning tone – professional remember?" He said, looking away with a satisfied wink.

The shift went quickly for them. A few light calls kept them distracted and busy enough to maintain their professionalism. Their playful banter and sideways glances, the little things that made them the partners they always have been, were still exchanged. He still guided her and walked her through all assignments; always the teacher.

On the way back to the barn that night, Andy couldn't help but smile at how great they were together, and how now even after spending ten hours working together, she still couldn't wait to get off shift and be "normal" with him. She loved waking up in his arms, and falling asleep on his chest and everything in between. All of the pieces somehow just fit.

They did some quick paperwork once returning to the Barn and then headed to the locker rooms to change at the end of shift.

Sam walked into the room where Oliver quickly jumped over to him, exclaiming proudly "About time, man!" while giving him a quick slap on the back. Oliver continued to pry "So is it good?" Sam shot him a warning glance before Oliver quickly realized how that sounded, and continued "I mean the relationship – you happy?" Sam snorted and chuckled. Raised eyebrows and a satisfied grin complete with dimples, Sam looked his friend straight in the eye and confidently replied "Yeah".

"Good to hear, brother, good to hear – See you down at the Penny? – it's been too long!" Ollie asked, before slapping Sam's back again and making his way out.

"Sure, see you down there. I am just going to grab a quick shower first."

"Should I grab Mcnally for you?" Oliver teased.

"You're an ass" Sam laughed at Oliver, shaking his head.

Back in the women's locker room, Andy emerged from the shower to find Traci changing. "Hey Trace", Andy greeted her friend while she opened her locker.

"Sooooo, are you going to spill the details or are you going to make me beg?" Traci questioned her friend playfully.

"Remember after the first time you asked if it was good, and I replied 'heavenly', well I couldn't even conceive of it at the time, but somehow it has gotten even better. And not just the sex – everything", Andy swooned as she dug out a few things from her locker. While searching for her hairdryer, she came across her two condo choice listings that she held on the day Sam first told her about the undercover op, and threw them on the bench.

"Have you completed the paperwork for that yet, by the way?" Traci inquired, gesturing towards the listings.

"No, I haven't gotten out of bed much lately" Andy giggled.

"Way to go Swarek" Traci exclaimed. They both laughed.

"I was supposed to buy the first one a few weeks ago, but I never got around to finalizing the paperwork with everything that has happened and now…" she trailed off.

Traci just smiled. She picked up the first condo listing and studied it. "So this is 'it' then – 'the' one?" Traci asked regarding the condo while waving the paper.

"Yeah, I thought so. I thought it was what I wanted, but now, um, maybe I don't want to get into something so serious – such a big commitment. Maybe I should just keep my options open for a little longer, you know?"

Andy's beaming smile let her friend know exactly what she was thinking. "Ask me to stay?" Traci questioned, recalling her friends tale.

Andy just smiled and blushed. Deep down she could not wait for him to speak that word to her again.

"You thinking you might want to lock it down with Swarek?" she smiled inquisitively.

"I don't know. I don't even know if that would be something he wants. All I know is that I have been there for the past three weeks and it just feels right, you know? I am finally, truly happy, Trace" Andy beamed.

"I can tell" Traci said with a wide grin. "Come on lets get out of here, our guys are going to be mad that we are late again".

Andy followed Traci out of the locker rooms and was a bit disappointed that Sam was not waiting for her, but she figured that Oliver or Jerry had just dragged him down to the Penny beforehand.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, I do not own Rookie Blue.

**Notes:** Enjoy and let me know what you think, please.

While down at the Penny Sam sat at the bar, ordering and downing glasses of scotch as quickly as they came. He was trying to pay attention to his friends, but questions just kept burning through his mind. His friends could tell he was distracted and in a bad mood, so they didn't dare broach the subject. They all sat giving each other quizzical looks with unanswered questions about his demeanor. With each drink he took, the drunker and madder he got, all the while the words replaying in his ears.

"_So this is "it" then - the one?" _

"_Yeah, I thought so. I thought it was what I wanted, but now, um, maybe I don't want to get into something so serious – such a big commitment. Maybe I should just keep my options open for a little longer, you know"? _

When he overheard those words as he approached the locker room to retrieve Andy, his heart sank. It felt like her engagement announcement to Callaghan all over again, but only a thousand times worse this time. The questions plagued his brain, and crushed his heart. How could she do this to him? Did she not feel the same about those past three weeks? Did he push it too far with the key? He thought they were really going somewhere fast. It was just that night that he had planned on saying those three little words that he had been dying to tell her from the first day they worked together. He really did love her, and he thought she felt the same, so why would she want to keep her options open? He was mad confused and hurt. He decided he was done letting her toy with him. After all, he had made it explicitly clear to her before he relinquished his heart in that UC apartment, that there was no going back. He took another drink.

Andy and Traci entered the bar. Traci smiled and waved at Jerry across the bar, and took a seat with Gail, Chris and Dov. Andy headed straight over to Sam. "Hey" she said excitedly.

He looked up from his drink, and mustered out a mumbled "Yeah, Hey" before immediately looking down into it again. She could tell immediately that he had had too much to drink already, and gave Oliver, Jerry and Noelle a questioning, concerned look. They all just shrugged back at her and distanced themselves a bit. As he ordered another drink, Andy tugged at his arm a bit and said "Maybe you've had enough. Let's go home – we can come back tomorrow to catch up with everyone."

"There you go taking control again" he grumbled in a nasty tone.

"What?" she asked confusedly.

He yanked his arm away from her touch, spun around and snapped at her, 'Look, just go spend some time with your friends. I could use a little space."

She was pissed by his actions and his tone. "Fine!" She said as she walked to the table where her friends were sitting.

Traci had caught a glimpse of the encounter, and asked Andy what was going on. Andy wasn't sure. She chalked it up to something he hadn't told her about yet like a case or confrontation of some sort, combined with too much to drink. She sat at the table only half listening to what her friends were saying as she kept a close eye on him from across the bar.

He kept replaying those words he overheard in his head until he decided he had had enough. "_If she can keep her options open, then so can I"_, he though to himself. He got up, but instead of making his way to the door, he joined a group of other guys who were hanging out with a couple of local badge bunnies. The girls were somewhat attractive, in a cheap, tight clothes, too much make-up, "I just want to get laid by a cop" sort of way.

Andy watched as he engaged them in conversation, laughed and even pulled out the dimples. Andy was outraged. She got up and marched over to him. Just as he was reaching out to touch the back of one of the girls, she grabbed his arm yanked him towards her and gritted through clenched teeth, "Outside, Sam -NOW". Before he could open his mouth again, she had pulled him through the back entrance of the bar. Once the door shut, she erupted.

"What the hell was that?

"What?" he asked in an innocent way that had a tone of defiance.

"You know damned well 'what'! So that's how it is going to be? A few drinks in you and you turn into a cheater too?" she snarled and shuttered at the thought. Now he was pissed that she would dare compare him to Callahan.

"Just keeping my options open" he shot back at her, smugly.

She stood there in shock as he walked away, back into the bar, taking another swig of his drink. She felt as if she had just been punched in the stomach.

Andy took a minute to compose her self and walked back into the bar and grabbed her coat. She asked Traci for a ride. Traci quickly agreed and followed Andy out of the bar in great haste. Once in Traci's car, Andy looked up at her, trying her hardest to fight back tears and simply asked, "Can I stay at your place tonight?"

"Why, what the hell happened back there?" Traci asked astonished.

"I'll explain it all when we get there. Right now, I just need a friend and a drink."

"Ok, let me just call Jerry and tell him you are staying".

After Traci called Jerry, who assured her that he would keep an eye on Sam, the girls made it to the house.

Jerry was sure to take Sam home quickly after that, before he could get any drunker or into any more trouble. He figured since his plans with Traci were ruined, he would stay with Sam to look after him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: ** I do not own Rookie Blue

**Notes:** Everyone has a little drama now an again, right?

….

After Andy and Traci settled in and Andy was at least three glasses into a big bottle of pinot noir, Traci asked again what happened. Andy started crying as she recalled every detail of that shift and evening to her friend, searching to figure out for herself what had happened.

Traci looked stunned and sat back in the chair, before something dawned on her.

"Wait, he used those exact words?" she asked.

"What? What words?" Andy tried to sort through her fuzzy thoughts.

"Keep my options open?"

"Yeah! Can you imagine? Who _says_ that?" Andy sneered.

"Ummm… You… in the locker room – about the condo" Traci continued, "Do you think he may have overheard us at the wrong time and jumped to conclusions?"

Andy thought to herself for a minute and shot up, shaking her head, the tiniest bit relieved. "What an absolute ass!" she exclaimed as it was all starting to make sense now.

"But still", Andy continued, "It doesn't give him the right to behave like he did tonight. Why couldn't he just talk to me instead of jumping to conclusions like a big baby?"

Traci just sighed and answered, "Andy you are my best friend, and you know I love you, but honestly girl, put yourself in that man's shoes for a second. You know how long he has been pining away for you, watching you and being there for you, even through everything with Luke. To think that he finally got what he wanted – you- after all this time, and think that you didn't take it just as seriously. Well, how would you feel if you heard that?"

Andy knew Traci was right, and it made her uneasy, but she continued to protest "Still, he acted like a complete jerk tonight."

Traci was done with this "Andy, listen – Enough games -This is the man you love. You are like really, truly, head over heels in love…

Andy interrupted stammering, "What? Who said…? I didn't say…" Traci shot her an '_honestly_' look with a raised eyebrow, which made Andy admit, "Yes, Traci, I love him. I guess I have loved him for a long time now."

Traci reveled in her admission for a second before saying, "Then what are you waiting for? Go tell him!"

Andy smiled and jumped up to grab her things.

"I think Jerry is staying with Sam", Traci called out from the living room, as Andy was fixing her face in the bathroom; "I am just going to call him and tell him the story."

"What? No!" Andy exclaimed. "He shouldn't hear it from Jerry."

"Andy, if Jerry tells him the truth about what he thinks he overheard, it will save you both a lot of arguing and frustration ", Traci argued.

Although Andy protested at first, she had finally conceded. She didn't want to waste one more second with Sam over a stupid misunderstanding.

When Jerry hung up with Traci, he set out to find Sam. Sam was in his bedroom, fully clothed, and sprawled across the bed, obviously starting to feel the hangover.

"Hey, Sammy you got a minute?"

"Uggghhhhh" Sam grumbled "Do you mind – I am trying to rest here."

"Well, wake up, Sleeping Beauty, we need to talk."

"About what?" Sam snapped, obviously not interested in having any type of conversation that night.

"About keeping your options open" Jerry piped up, trying to hold back a chuckle, "and about eavesdropping outside the women's locker room".

Sam was not interested in talking about this, but that statement clearly piqued his interest. He sat up half way to look at Jerry, pinched the bridge of his nose, and said, "Jerry, I already have a headache – can you get to the point?"

As Jerry told Sam about the conversation he had with Traci, Sam's head began to spin. He threw his head back on the bed, covering his eyes with his arm. "Ughhh I am an idiot!" he exclaimed.

"That you are my friend; that you are" Jerry said amusedly. He continued, "You had better go get cleaned up, they should be here any minute" Jerry stated as he walked out of the room and shut the door behind him.

Sam got up, took a few more aspirin, washed his face, brushed his teeth, and put on a clean shirt, all the while mentally berating himself. Why had he been so stupid? Why didn't he just listen to the rest of the conversation? Why had he listened at all instead of just knocking first? Why didn't he just talk to her? Why did he take it too far in the bar? Why did he walk away from her?

The girls entered together as Sam was cleaning up, and Jerry filled them in really quickly. Andy just shook her head again upon hearing Sam's reaction.

Just then, Sam walked out and leaned against his bedroom doorway. Traci and Jerry immediately took this as their cue to leave.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, even after my story, I do not own Rookie Blue

**Notes: **This is the last chapter. I hope you enjoy it, and please leave any and all feedback – it would be wonderful to have it if another idea crosses my mind in the future.

….

Andy and Sam just stood there silently for a minute or two, which seemed like an eternity. Looking up from the ground, Sam was the first to speak.

"I am an idiot." He said, apologetically.

Andy nodded in agreement, with a low tone "Yes, you are."

"I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions"

"No you shouldn't have"

"Well what did you expect me to think, Andy? Do you know what it felt like for me to even consider the thought that you would leave me?" Sam practically yelled as he felt all the tension from the night coming to the surface.

"Do you know what it felt like for me to see you acting that way for what I thought was no reason? And then to see you talking to those bimbos! I just couldn't conceive of the man I love doing that…"

Before Andy could finish her thought, she felt Sam's lips crash into hers. She couldn't help but kiss him back. They kissed each other with all the intensity in the world; with all of the passion that flowed between them. She tugged up his shirt and hoisted it over his head; He nibbled on her neck as his strong hands cupped her breasts. He took off her shirt and crashed his mouth into hers again. She fumbled with the button and zipper of his jeans as he continued to kiss along her neck and ear feverishly, all the while groping her ass, before he hoisted her up around his waist and made his way into the bedroom.

The display was similar to the one on the night of the blackout, but this time it was different. Better. Much better. No interruptions. Just them. Together. Groping. Clawing. Loving. All the passion they held for each other worked its way into a frenzied expression of their intensity for each other, through swallowed breaths and lusty moans.

As they lay in bed together afterwards, a sense of relief washed over them.

Sam, trying to catch his breath, exclaimed, "Wow, we should fight more often."

"Shut up" she said as she swatted his chest.

Sam chuckled before he playfully asked, "Sooo, you love me, huh?"

Andy blushed. Although Sam expected a witty retort, Andy simply looked at him softly and replied sheepishly, "Yeah, I do."

Sam audibly gulped before he said, "You know I love you too, right?"

"Never doubted it", Andy said sweetly and sincerely before nuzzling his chest with her face.

They laid in silence for a little bit longer enjoying the feel of their bodies intertwined and the softness of each others skin, the gentleness of their caresses. Sam once again spoke up-

"Andy-"

"Hmmmm?"

"Stay" he whispered. He knew she would know exactly what he meant – that he wanted her to move in, to stay with him for the long haul.

"Are you sure Sam? There's no going back", she reminded him.

"I'm just going to trust my gut on this one" he said with a dimpled smile.

She looked up at him and turned herself to straddle his hips.

With a gleaming smile, she looked intensely into his dark eyes. She touched her nose to his and smiled wider.

"Ok" she murmured, before quickly regaining his mouth, softly kissing his lips again and again….

**End. I hope you all enjoyed. Thanks for the support.**


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